Who to gank: Brotherhood or Institute?

[Moraelin]

I won't argue with any of that, because it's a pretty accurate summation of the factions. The only thing I would argue is that since you run the Minutemen -- seriously, even committing genocide doesn't get you ousted -- a Minuteman victory means pretty much just what you said: you're the one in charge of the Commonwealth. The rest of the militia, well, they suck as you say, but they're your subjects and soldiers at that point too. You don't abdicate after winning for the Minutemen. You're still the general and the one holding them together.

 

And ideally in the long run they could conceivably be turned into a more organized army, still under your command. After all, at least the male character is a veteran soldier, and realistically has more idea of actual military organization and tactics than anyone in the BOS. We're moving into fanfic territory here, as that's not in the game, but I feel it's a realistic and achievable outcome once you rule the Commonwealth.

[Boombro]

 

realistically has more idea of actual military organization and tactics than anyone in the BOS

That is not even possible.

 

Yes, he was in the army, but a different army with tanks, fighter planes and what not and from a different time. BoS been fighting in the wastes for years, trained (?) in the wastes and are organized already in different states. With a big robot, a full staff and they know the wastes well so much more. With the fact that BoS npcs are better overall than MM npcs.

[Moraelin]

Yes, the BOS has the experience, and that does count for something, but their organization and discipline is lacking beyond belief. I've been in the army (although not in any actual combat) in real life, and got to know the BOS in all Fallout games. They've really regressed to a loosely organized militia, even if with better equipment.

 

Thing is, between a group of unorganized supersoldiers and a formation of drilled and disciplined average guys, for as long as we have a recorded history, the latter have won every single time. Drill the minutemen to actually act as formations, with dedicated sections and everything, and to do even the basic stuff like lay suppression fire, pin and flank, use combined arms, etc, and they'll mop the floor with an equal number of knights in power armour every single time. Because the BOS were never shown to do any of that.

 

The BOS has experience fighting, what? Disorganized raiders and supermutants? In the only recorded instances where they fought an even half-way organized army, like the NCR, they lost horribly.

 

And their idea of discipline is... what? Danse actually apologizes for being more demanding with me than with anyone else, when he actually was WAY less demanding than our sergeant was on his most kind days. Arguing with the commanding officer gets you promoted. Failing to do a mission entirely has no repercussions. Etc. That's no more military discipline than the minutemen, or for that matter the raiders have. Event the Gunners have documented cases of being less accommodating about indiscipline.

 

And yes, I'm aware that the Minutemen are nowhere NEAR that kind of discipline and organization... yet. But given some years, you could turn them into a real army. You just have to drill all that into them.

[Talwyn224]

@ Morealin -

 

I agree with your points re; Minutemen & BoS.

 

The Minutemen are just a civilian militia but do have the potential to become more of a regular force under your leadership. I believe that they are the best of the factions in at least they actually do give a dam about their community and fellow travellers and want to rebuild civilisation free from psychopathic cannibalistic raiders and super mutants. Where as the BoS, while they do go after raiders and mutants, only view the civilian population as a resource - not so much as people which is pretty callous and as such the BoS are slowly morphing into a pale version of the Enclave.

 

The east coast BoS only became the power that they are solely due to the actions & repercussions of the Lone Wanderer from FO3. They owe EVERYTHING to him/her. If not for the LW then the citadel would a smoking new crater in downtown DC and the Enclave would be ruling the east coast. Yet it appears Maxon has somehow forgotten this massive debt to an OUTSIDER and has gone back to the old ways of hoarding tech with the one caveat which is they still add new recruits to their ranks via sponsorship rather than relying on natural growth from within. They may be the best equipped & trained force out there but in reality they can't achieve much unless some special outsider comes along and saves the day for them. The irony is that there should be no contest really between the Institute & BoS as the BoS have massive air superiority plus a very large, well trained and massively armed army at their disposal while the Institute just have some very good robots aka The Synths. The BoS can dominate the landscape if they so choose and while the Synths are dangerous, they can't fly hence the Institute will lose eventually unless they manage to infiltrate/replace enough of the key members of the BoS with Synths.

 

But like FO:NV, the two most powerful factions in FO4 do not deserve to rule because they're selfish, hubristic and myopic, seeing that they're way is the only way and forgetting that it takes a broader, more nuanced approach to rebuild civilisation.

[Guest deleted2159825]

The correct answer is "I want to gank Preston Garvey, that usurping little s#*!."

 

I'M THE GENERAL, NOT YOU!

 

But seriously, it's good to see the love for the Minutemen. I went with them as well, and my only regret is leaving a radioactive crater smack in the center of town. I wish we could've just turned off the lights or something, or perhaps left it to the synthetic apes... though they might eventually proliferate and then emerge armed with the institute's advanced weaponry... I shudder at the thought.

 

Can the Minutemen possibly resist an onslaught of laser-wielding gorillas? Surely sacrificing Preston Garvey would appease the Old Ones and guarantee victory for the Minutemen.

 

Been drinking, sorry.

[Boombro]

 

The correct answer is "I want to gank Preston Garvey, that usurping little s***."

^

You think mercy long is bad?

Garvey is worst.

Edited December 15, 2015 by Boombro

[Talwyn224]

Surely sacrificing Preston Garvey would appease the Old Ones and guarantee victory for the Minutemen.

 

 

This made my day!

 

IA YOG SOTHOTH!

[Moraelin]

Aye, brothers and sisters, we must remember the words of the Prophet: "That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die."

 

BTW, I assume you guys know about the HP Lovecraft Historical Society carols? If not, well, search exactly that on Youtube. Best two CDs I ever bought. And thanks to custom radio stations, now all my settlers get to listen all day, all across the Commonwealth, to "Death May Die", "Unholy Night", "Awake Ye Scary Great Old Ones" and the like :p

[Boombro]

I never read anything from love craft and I have no idea what his work is about. I know he is writer, but I had no idea he was also a singer.

[Moraelin]

He wasn't a singer. Just some other people made up song lyrics based on his stories. Most are actually remarkably true to the stories they're based on, too.